Edinburgh vs Glasgow
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Edinburgh leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Edinburgh is the old town and the new; Glasgow is the city of mackintosh and saints.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Edinburgh
55
Glasgow
52
Edinburgh leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Edinburgh
254
Glasgow
410
Edinburgh leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Edinburgh
13
Glasgow
12
Edinburgh leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Edinburgh
20
Glasgow
24
Glasgow leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Edinburgh
16
Glasgow
23
Glasgow leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Edinburgh
4
Glasgow
2
Edinburgh leads
| What we measure | Edinburgh | Glasgow | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 55 | 52 | Edinburgh |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 254 | 410 | Edinburgh |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 13 | 12 | Edinburgh |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 20 | 24 | Glasgow |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 16 | 23 | Glasgow |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 4 | 2 | Edinburgh |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Edinburgh in orange, Glasgow in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Edinburgh scorecard
The old town and the new
Glasgow scorecard
The city of Mackintosh and saints
